Nicole Miller may often be overlooked in fashion circles and on the red carpet, but she has steadily built an impressive empire that encompasses everything from children’s wear to bridal. Word has it that Joe Zee was filming for his show All on the Line during Miller’s show this season and perhaps that explains what we saw from her on the runway. Is Miller trying to attract a new demographic to her line? Trying to make a mark on the red carpet? Did she enlist Joe Zee for help? Something is certainly going on because she did a complete 180 for her extreme sport-inspired Spring 2012 collection – and that wasn’t a good thing.

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

image: IMAXtree

Miller has been on a wonderful edgier, sexier track these past few seasons, but the collection she showed at Lincoln Center for Spring 2012 looked more Juniors than anything a grown woman would wear – let alone anyone hoping to come off as cool or sexy.

Like many other designers thus far, Miller is hoping Spring 2012 is all about bright colors and prints, unfortunately the checkered, swirling, cluttered, and patchy, psychedelic bright ones that showed up on everything from tops and bottoms, to jumpers and dresses appeared nothing if not like a Betsey Johnson or Patricia Field ensemble gone horribly wrong.

It would be easy to blame the styling of the show – which does deserve some blame as the clashing that was present throughout certainly didn’t help matters – but even when considered individually most of the pieces felt flat.

TheFashionSpot's Lifestyle Editor, Sharon Feiereisen, is a freelance lifestyle writer based in New York City. Her work has been published in Newsday, The Knot, AM New York, WHERE New York, Dan's Papers, and Hamptons Magazine, among many other print and online outlets. Check out her tumblr blog, Random Happenings.